After four excruciatingly long years since the conclusion of RWC 2003, it’s finally time for the discourse to shift from the theoretical to the concrete. After nearly 1400 days of seemingly endless arguments and opinionated tirades about who’s going to win and why, in less than ten hours we as a worldwide rugby community will be able to dispense with the predictions and begin to discuss actual results!
Rugby World Cup 2007 kicks off tonight with France taking on Argentina in Saint Denis. Even though it’s pretty unfair to put the Pumas in the position of having to open against the hosts for the third consecutive tourney, you couldn’t ask for a better match-up. The Pumas have the recent edge on Les Bleus and the home side has the pressure of an entire nation’s hopes weighing upon them. Actually it’s probably more accurate to say that the Tricolors have a responsibility to win so that the entire country doesn’t lose interest in the tournament after the very first contest.
This is one of those matches in Pool D – the Pool of Death – that really could go either way but I can’t imagine the French team letting down in front of a highly partisan, 80,000 strong crowd in Stade de France. I have no doubt that the Pumas can compete up front but unless they thoroughly dominate in that area the Tricolors backline will ultimately get their chances to show off their pace and skill with the result being plenty of points put up on the scoreboard.
I’ve never attended the opening ceremonies of a World Cup but I’m hoping that the hosts keep it short and sweet so that we’re not tortured any further waiting for the rugby to be played. To me, the pageantry and the events surrounding the tournament are all well and good for the casual fan but I’m here to watch the sport being played at its highest level so let’s get on with it!
